Wall switch



WALL swi'rcx Filed April 3o.\1945 z, INSULATION E Patented June 10, 1947 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALL swrrcn f Humphrey N. Heasty, Milwaukee, Wis.

'Application April 30, 1945, Serial No. 590,988 12 claims. (c1. zoo-1551) This invention relates to improvements in wall switches.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel and improved wall switch which, although mechanical, as distinguished from mercury switches, will nevertheless be smooth and noiseless in operation.

A further very important object of the invention is to provide a switch vwhich will be extremely eiective and yet extremely inexpensive and more easily operable than presently available wall switches.

Other objects will' appear to those skilled in the art upon analysis of the following disclosure of the invention.

1n the drawingsz' Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a complete switch assembly as it appears in readiness for mounting in the conventionaly outlet box.

Fig. 2 is a view taken in section through an outlet box and switch plate showing my improved switch assembly mounted therein, the switch assembly being largely illustrated in side elevation. Y

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the face plate with the operating disk oi.' my improved switch projecting therethrough.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of my switch assembly showing certain oi' the parts in rear elevation, other parts being broken away to expose the interior structure. 1

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the switch rotor in elevation, a portion thereof being broken away to expose its interior construction.

The parts are identiiled by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

My improved switch may'- be assembled in a conventional outlet box BA having a conventional switch plate 1. The bracket 8 may conveniently be made of sheet metal to terminate in oppositely vdirected mounting ilanges 9. In the normal mounting of the bracket, the portion III thereof will be at the bottom, although this is not essential. Regardless of its location, the portion I0 oi the bracket provides a base to which are screwed the' dielectric blocks II, I2. Upon these v blocks are carried the ilanges I3 oi the switch contact arms I4, I5, the contact portion ofeach being preferably provided by a boss-at I6 integrally formed therein. The electrical connection to the respective contacts may be made by anchoring a wire beneath the head of one of the terminal screws I 1.

Preferably formed integrally with the bracket 8 at opposite sides of its .back member I9 are the arms 2li which support a shaft 2i on which the tubular hub 22 of disk 23 is rotatable. The hub extends from one of arms 20 to the other. thereby spacing the disk centrally between the arms 2 0. However, any other arrangement for the rotatable mounting of the disk 23 will suffice.

The disk 23 is made of dielectric material. It is preferably molded to provide at suitable intervals about its periphery the embedded transversely extending rods 24 of conductive material.

.These rods terminate within recesses 2-5 as indicated in section infFig. 4. The contact bosses I6 of the contact arms I4, I5 are receivable into such recesses 25 to engage the opposite ends of the Ysuccessive conductor rods 24 which may be registered therewith by rotating the diskf23. The entry of the bosses I5 into the recesses 25 impositively denes the position of the disk in which a circuit is established from one of the contact arms I4, I5 to the other through the intervening rod. The disk can be displaced from the position of contact only by exerting suiilcient rotative torque thereon to force the bosses I6 out of the recesses 25 by springing theresilient contact arms I4', I5.

r.At intervals between the circumierentially spaced rods 24 embedded in the disk,there are recesses 26 similar to those at' 25 but having no embedded rods exposed to carry current between the contact arms I4 and I5. The recesses 25 l (Fig. 5) receive bosses I6 to impositively define disk positions in which the circuit between the contact arms I4, I5 is open.

The periphery of the disk 23 projects through vthe conventional slot 21 of the wall plate 1 and is preferably knurled as indicated at 28 for con'-A venience of manipulation. The disk is readily accessible, asclearly 'appears from Fig, 3 and,

engaged by the operators thumb or finger, may readily be rotated in either direction. The concavity of the respective recesses 25, 26 is sufficient to sharply define the positions in which the bosses I6 enter such recesses, but is not so sharp as to involve any appreciable noise as the bosses enter or leave the recesses. The disk operates smoothly and quietly. The initial resistance offered by engagement of the bosses in the recesses is easily overcome, but only after a certain amount of torque has been exerted on the periphery oi the disk. Thus, there is a tendency for the circuit through the respective rods 24 to be broken with a decisive action and when one of the rods again moves between the spring contact arms I4, I5, contact will bc reestablished Witha decisive action due to the bias of such arms toward each other,

whereby they `enterfthe recesses 25 withsumcient pressure to assure the .properfseating'of the .bosses against theembeddedfconductor 24. 'The angularity between the respective spring arms i4 `and l5 and their respective flanges i3 may be so .'de-

termined as to .be somewhat greater than 90 'de- `grecs so astoassure thefdesired-bias of these arms toward each other.

Prolonged tests indicate that the desirable 'silence and smoothness of operation' are achieved without the formation of any arc and without appreciable wear over long periods of time. The

'fact that the dielectric disk through which the' conductingrods 24 extend axially has its periphery'projecting through the face plate 'i for direct manual operation contributes markedly to the simplicity, economy andlong life of the device.

I claim:

1. A noiseless switch, comprising the combination with an outlet box having a slotted face plate,

of a dielectric disk axially supported for rotation within the box with a portion of its circular .periphery exposed in said slot, said disk having its fiat faces provided with .annular sets of .concave recesses with those of one face paired with those on the opposite facepat least one electrically conductive rod extending through the disk with its ends exposed at the bases of the recesses of one of the pairs, and resilient terminals on opposite sides of the disk, `each mounted on a dielectric support and biased `forpressure contact with the adjacent fiat face of the disk, said terminals yhaving embossed convex .portions adapted :to 'enter the disk recesses to hold Vthedisk in step-by-step positions of rotary adjustment and to .electrically connect said terminals when vin contact with the rod ends.

2. In an electrical switch of the described class, the combination oi a dielectric disk mounted'for progressive step by step rotation and having an axial supportingshaft and provided with annular sets of `paired lconcave recesses, with those of each pair voppositely disposed in the respective flat faces of the disk, at least one electrically conductive rod extending'through the disk with its ends exposed at the bases of .the recesses of one pair, and a set of resilient 'contact arms having insulated mountings and provided withembossed terminals adapted to resiliently enter said paired recesses to impositively `hold the disk in each of several step-by-step .positions of rotative yadjustment, said terminals being electrically connected by said rod when in registry therewith, certain of 'said recesses presenting dielectric vmaterial to at least one of said contact arms whereby impositively to define rotor positions in whichthe `circuit between said arms `isopen.

3. In an electrical switch, the combination of a rotor having dielectric faces, means supporting said rotor for unrestricted rotation in a selected direction, the peripheryA of the rotor being exposed for direct manual operation, opposing contacts biased toward the IVrespective faces of the rotor, said contacts and rotor faces having coacting boss and socket means for impositively defining -selected positions of said rotor, conductors embedded in said rotor for lcompletion of an electrical circuit between said contacts at alternate rotor positions, the said rotor faces presenting dielectric surfaces to at least one of said contacts at intervening positions, whereby step by step rotation of said rotor will alternately make and break a circuit between lsuch contacts.

4. The -device set forth in claim 3 Xin further combination with a switch plate having a slot through 4which the periphery of such rotor pro- .jects vfor :manual operation. the arcuate extent .offrotorperiphery exposed throughsuch slot comlprising the only meansfor limiting the extent to which vsuch rotor `may be turned in a single foperation.

`rotation of said rotor in a single direction to repeatedly make and break a circuit between said .member using a plurality of successive conductors in making Vsuch circuit.

6. Inan electrical switch, the combination with opposed contact members and means relatively biasing at least one .toward the other, of a. rotor with a peripheral portion exposed for manipulation, v:said rotor :being disposed between said contact members` and having faces against which such members are engaged, means supporting said rotor for unrestricted rotation between such `membersin at least one direction, said rotor having recesses in annular series upon at least one oi' said faces, the contact member engaged therewith having a boss coasting with successive `recesses to define successive positions of said .rotor,and said rotor having a plurality or means valternately,dielectric and conductive between the respective `con-tact members in the respective rotor positions, whereby progressive rotation of said rotor will alternately make and break a circuit between such members and a plurality of said conductive means will be employed to close the circuit between said members in the course of a single yrotation of said rotor.

'1. In a switch oi' the character described, the

combination with a rotatable disk having end faces and a periphery manually engageable for disk rotation, of a bracket providing means sup porting thel disk for unrestricted rotation. and a Vpair of mutually insulated terminal contacts having .relative bias toward each other and respectively engaging .opposite faces of the disk, said disk being provided with embedded conductor means exposed at the faces of the disk in positions for simultaneous registry with said contacts in the course of disk rotation whereby the disk may be rotated by a manipulation of its periphery in either direction ,from any position to establish and breakyan electrical circuit between said terminal contacts.

8. `A-switch of the character described comprisingthe cbmbmation with a disk having end faces, one of which is provided with an annular series of recesses, means mounting the disk for unrestricted rotation in at -least one direction, contact means engaging opposite faces of the disk, oneof said contact means having a. boss adapted to enter the successive recesses in the course of vdisk rotation, and a plurality of conductors em- .ends are exposed, said contact boss and recesses defining posi-tions of said disk, and recesses between said conductors defining circuit-breaking positions thereof.

9. A switch of the character described comprising the combination with a bracket having mounting portions and a base portion, of dielectric supports on the base portion, contact fingers extending inmutually spaced relation from the respective supports, at least one ofv said fingers comprising a spring biased toward the other, said lingers having contact bosses, arms connected with the bracket, a dielectric disk provided with a mounting for unrestricted rotation between said arms and having opposed face portions with which the bosses of said fingers are engaged, said disk having corresponding recesses in annular series in its respective faces and embedded c onductors terminating in corresponding recesses at selected points about said disk whereby to establish an electrical circuit between said fingers when said bosses are engaged in the recesses in which said conductors terminate, recesses of said disk between the recesses in which said conductors terminate 4being dead whereby to provide an off position between consecutive conductive positions of said disk.

10. 'I'he device of claim 9 in which said brackets, said fingers, said armsand said disk are enclosed in a housing, said housing having a slotted wall through which a peripheral portion of said disk projects for direct manual operation.

11. A wall switch for use in an outlet box having a slotted closure plate, said switch comprising in combination a bracket having terminal mounting portions and intermediate base and back portionsLarm's projecting from the back portion, a dielectric disk rotatably supported between said arms in a. position such that its peand projecting in approximate parallelism with the end faces ofthe disk and provided with relative bias toward the end faces of the disk, said fingers having contact bosses engageable in the recesses of the disk and between which said conductors establish an electrical connection'when exposed at certain of the recesses of its dielectric riphery will project through the slot of the closure face, of relatively non-rotatable brushes at opPO- site sides of said disk having relative bias toward said disk, one of said brushes having a contact portion positioned to lbe received into the recesses of the dielectric face of the disk in the course of disk rotation, whereby impositively to define disk positions and to contact said conductor in the recesses in which said conductor is exposed, the other brush also being provided with contact means engageable with said conductor whereby said conductor closes a circuit between said brushes when contacted thereby and the dielectric face of said disk breaks said circuit when the disk is rotated to move exposed portions of said conductor out of registry with the contact portion of the brush having the contact portion first mentioned.

HUMPHREY N. HEASTY.

REFERENCES CITED The vfollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

